FAQs

FAQs

Click on a question below to see the answer.

Do you provide a housing allowance? Do you cover travel costs?

The Government of Nunavut covers all housing and travel expenses for locum physicians. Full-time physicians residing in-territory have the option to choose between GN subsidized staff housing, or a monthly housing allowance if living in private accommodations.

Will I have to permanently relocate to Nunavut to work as a physician there?

No. We have a variety of flexible locum contract options available that allow you to travel from your place of residence to work in Nunavut.

I would like to relocate to Nunavut. Do you provide relocation assistance?

Relocation expenses are covered for physicians who sign full-time contracts.

What types of contracts are available?

We now offer an updated variety of contract options. Please see our Opportunities Available page for more information.

Where can I expect to work as a physician in Nunavut?

In the Qikiqtani region, physicians are based out of Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit and they will have an opportunity to travel to smaller communities to provide care.

In the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot regions, each community is based on a stand-alone health care centre model and physician need is determined by community population size.

How will I know if Nunavut is the right fit for me?

Successful candidates will travel to Iqaluit to work a two- or three-week schedule. Upon completion, we will discuss the type and length of commitment the candidate would like to make.

I have more questions about practicing medicine in Nunavut? Are there additional other resources I can consult?

If you have any other questions, please send them to us via the online form found in the Contact Us page.

How can I apply for a license to practice medicine in Nunavut?

Candidates who meet our requirements can apply for a full and unrestricted licence to practice medicine in Nunavut at physiciansapply.ca. For more information on the requirements to practice medicine in Nunavut, please see our Licensing and Registration page.

How long does it take to process an application through physiciansapply.ca?

It takes roughly four weeks to process an application.

How much is the licensing application fee?

The licensing application fee is $200 annually.

I do not currently live in Canada, but I would like to work as a physician in Nunavut.

All International Medical Graduates must have a license to practice medicine in Canada. For more information on the requirements to practice medicine in Nunavut, please see our Licensing and Registration page.

In Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet, winter starts in earnest near the end of October and lasts until late April or the beginning of May. In Cambridge Bay, it starts a few weeks earlier and lasts a few weeks longer. In all three communities, the temperature will regularly dip below -30 C, so make sure you have a thick parka and warm boots.

In Cambridge Bay, the sun sets on November 30 and doesn’t rise again until January 11. But that doesn’t mean the town is shrouded in complete darkness—there is still twilight during the midday hours. The days are short in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet during this time, but the sun is up for at least five hours.

What is summer like in Nunavut?

Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay experience short summers and their residents take full advantage, with many heading out to fishing camps for weeks on end. All three communities experience days without darkness, but only Cambridge Bay has true 24-hour days: the sun rises on May 19 and doesn’t set again until July 22.

What languages are spoken in Nunavut?

Nunavut has four official languages: English, French, Inuinnaqtun and Inuktut. As many as 80 percent of Inuit in Nunavut speak Inuktut, with the Inuinnaqtun dialect spoken in Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk and Inuktitut spoken in the rest of Nunavut’s communities. Roughly 3,000 Inuit self-identify as monolingual in Inuktut. English is in wide use across Nunavut and Iqaluit has a French-language school.

As a new physician in Nunavut, don’t worry about communication problems, because we have Inuktut translators at the health centres and hospital. However, we do encourage you to learn as much Inuktut as you can while you are here!

Can my spouse or partner find work in Nunavut?

Yes, there are many Government of Nunavut positions open in Iqaluit and in communities across the territory. For more information, please refer to the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Human Resources jobs webpage: https://www.gov.nu.ca/public-jobs.